Hey guys! I’ve been studying here at CIA for about three months now, and honestly, the change in my English speaking is crazy. Back in Korea, I studied English for years, but I barely ever spoke a word. Our education is so focused on books and grammar that most of us are just terrified of making even one tiny mistake. I was the same—always stuck in my head, trying to translate Korean sentences into English before saying anything.

But my time here in Cebu totally changed that. My teacher gave me some really cool advice: "Just let go of the grammar and focus on your ideas." At first, it was hard, but once I started doing that, my confidence just shot up. Since I’m currently on a break from college and planning to switch my major to Software Engineering next year, I knew I had to get better at communicating if I wanted to succeed in the tech world. This mindset shift was exactly what I needed.

The best part about CIA isn't just the classes, though. It’s the freedom. In Korea, there’s so much pressure related to age and hierarchy, which I always found a bit suffocating. But here, I’ve made friends from Japan, Taiwan, and China, and we all just hang out as equals. It reminds me of the early 2000s pop-punk music I love—it’s all about being yourself and not caring about strict rules.

Through the group classes and just chatting with friends, I realized that English is just a tool to connect with people, not a test to pass. I’m so much more confident now, and I’m even practicing for my IELTS speaking without feeling stressed. If you’re tired of just "studying" English and actually want to "speak" it, CIA is the place to be. I’m really gonna miss this vibe!